Round fabric belting and its method of manufacture



April 19 1927. 1,624,932

A. H. DE voE ROUND FABRIC BEL-TING AND ITS METHOD OF MANUFACTURE Filed May 5, 1919 .3 II'NVENTOR BY/ l A? ORNEY' WITNESSES! flw-W/ 2%.

Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT H. DE VOE, OF WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY IVIESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE CLEVELAND TRUST COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORA- TION' OF OHIO.

ROUND FABRIC BELTING AND ITS METHOD OF MANUFACTURE.

Application filed May 3,

This invention relates to belting material and to a method of manufacturing the same.

It aims to produce a substitute for the circular or round leather belting widely employed for driving sewing or other light machines which substitute may be manufactured inexpensively, which is more durable,'possesses greater tensile strength, is elastic and may be made longer and of greater diameter than round leather belting. It also contemplates an improved method of manufacture which renders feasible the production of round fabric belting, itv not having been practical heretofore to manufacture the same commercially so far as is known.

According to the invention flexible sheet material, such as canvas, is rolled or coiled upon itself in spiral form and held in shape by stitches extending nearly diametrically through the product, the rolling or coiling of the canvas being effected by a hemmer or folder with or without a cord-guide and located in advance of the stitching point of a sewing machine which has suitable feeding and presser-mechanisms for handling the belting as it emerges from the hemmer or folderin circular rope-like form.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the following detailed description of an illustrated form of invention appearing in the drawings in which Fig- 1 is a perspective view of a hemmer with flexible material positioned therein and being formed into a preliminary roll or core. Fig. 2 shows ahemmer or folder for coiling the material in spirals about the preliminary roll or core illustrated in Fig. l to form a substantially circular or round mass and also shows a presser-foot and an upper feeding member suitable for handling the work in the rope-like form in which it must be stitched, transformation of the material being also shown. Fig. 3 shows in perspective a lower feeding member in operating position in a throat-plate. And Figs. 4 and 5 show a modified form of belting in which a cord is employed, the respective figures indicating the preliminary and finished conditions of the modified form.

While the belting may be made from any suitable flexible material, it is preferred to 1919. Serial No. 294,394.

employ canvas which combines with durability andflexibility a relatively great tensile strength and is available in quantity and at a reasonable price.

,The canvas or other flexible material is first cut to size in the form of a strip 1 as long as the belting is desired, or approximately so, and then folded longitudinally at one side of its lengthwise center line as indicated at 2 and preferably but not necessarily on the bias as indicated at 3. Then a preliminary roll or curled edge is made at the folded edge of the strip. This may be done by hemming the folded edge as indi cated at at, Fig. 1, in a hemmer 5 of the form shown, the hemmer being located in advance of the needle of a sewing machine as will be readily understood. Or the preliminary roll may be made by enclosing a cord 6 in the folded margin if desired securing it in place by stitches 7 as indicated in Fig. 4. V

The material, in either of the conditions illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4 with the folded edge 2 formed into a preliminary coil, roll or curled edge, is then passed through a iemmer or ceiling folder 8 to the needle 9 of a sewing machine, preferably but not necessarily of a lock-stitch type, and in its finished condition the material is then secured by stitches 10 passing diametrically, or nearly so, through the work in the circular coiled or spiralled form in which it emerges from the hemmer 8.

The canvas or other flexible material is inserted in the coiling folder 8 in the fashion indicated in Fig. 2 with its margin 11 folded back to pass under the flange 12 and with its preliminary coiled edge passing under and into the cord or roll guiding tubular channel 13 which at its forward end is provided with twisted scroll portions 1 1 and 15 that eflect a coiling of the initially curled edge upon itself so as to make the core of the belting tight and firm. The

forward end of the flange 12 is provided with a springtongue 16 and the flange 12 and spring-tongue 16 are both spaced from the concaved upper surface of an internal flange 17 which extends from the receiving to the delivery end of the folder where it terminates in a triangular portion 18 which is spaced from an elastic pressing member 19 bent at 20 for flexibility and soldered to the back of the folder which is integral with the flange 12. The members 16, 17, 18 and 19 at the delivery-end of the folder act to coil the outer layers of the circular belting in the transformation of the material from the flat to the circular form.

The folder 8 may be adjusted about an axis inclined downwardly toward the stitching point by loosening the thumb-screw 21. which passes through an elongated slot 22 and holds the cord guiding portion 13 of the folder 8 in a bracket 23 which is fastened to a base-plate 25% having a transverse slot 25 for permitting the attachment to be adjustably secured on the cloth-plate of the sewing machine.

As the work emerges from the hemmer or folder 8 in the tightly coiled condition illus trated it immediately enters between the opposed grooves 26, 27 defined by corrugated surfaces in upper and lower feeding members 28 and 29 respectively which feeding members may be actuated in any well known way.

The throatplate 30 of the machine is provided with a feed-dog opening 31 and is grooved as indicated at 32 in advance and in rear of the feed-dog opening. A'U- shaped member having a concaved and apertured lower wall 33 and upstanding lugs 55% disposed equal distances on opposite sides of the needle-path is fixed to the throat-plate and acts in conjunction with the presserfoot 35 to hold the belting in its coiled condition while it is being stitched.

The belting may be as above described or it may be made by using a cord or other core member 6 and in one operation by omitting the stitches 7. This may be done by folding a strip of canvas or other flexi ble material as previously mentioned longi-. tudinally at one side of its lengthwise center line, and enclosing a cord or other core memher 6 in the folded edge and then intr0duc ing the work to the hemmer or folder 8 in the manner previously described. This last mentioned method takes one less operation than the previously mentioned methods and for some purposes is to be preferred.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is l. An article of manufacture comprising a strip of flexible and needle penetrable material rolled upon itself to form a substantially round rope and stitched approximately diametrically thereof to prevent unwinding.

2. An article of manufacture comprising a bias cut strip of woven fabric rolled into substantially round rope-like form and diagonally of its warp and weft threads, and stitches approximately diametrically thereof securing the fabric in rope-like form.

3. An article of manufacture comprising a strip of canvas rolled transversely upon itself into substantially circular or rope-like form and stitched substantially diametri cally to prevent unwinding.

l. An article of manufacture comprising a substantially round strip of spirally folded fabric with its raw edges disposed internally, and stitched approximately diametrically thereof to secure the fabric in spirally folded form.

An article of manufacture comprising a strip of fabric fold d longitudinally at one side of its longitudinal center line, folded into a hem and stitched fast, and coiled about the hem and stitched to prevent unwinding.

6. An article of manufacture, comprising a strip of fabric stitched to provide an attached hem forming a core and having the strip wrapped about said stitched hem, and securing means for preventing unwrapping.

'7. The method of making a rope-like article from flexible sheetmaterial, consisting in folding the material longitudinally to form a hem, subsequently coiling it about the folded hem into substantially vround form, and stitching it approximately diametrically.

8. The method of making fabric into a rope consisting in folding a strip of mate rial longitudinally at one side of its lengthwise center line hemining and stitching its folded edge into roll-like form, subsequently coiling the remainder of the strip about the hem, and stitching it coiled.

9. The method of making a canvas rope consisting in forming a textile strip with a roll at one side thereof and at an inclination to both the warp and the weft threads, coiling the remainder of the strip about said roll, and securing the coiled strip against unwinding.

10. The method of making fabric into a rope consisting in folding a strip of material longitudinally at one side of its lengthwise center line hemming and stitching its folded edge into roll-like form, subsequently folding the raw edge of the widest ply inward and coiling the same about the stitched hem, and stitching the material while it is held coiled.

11. In the method of forming a round belt of flexible material, the steps of forming acore as an integral and permanent part of the flexible material to be used in forming the belt and stitching the core, said core to serve as a guide in completing the belt.

12. The method of forming a round belt of flexible material, comprising the steps of providing a core, permanently attaching the same to the flexible material to be formed thereabout, forming the material thereabout, and stitching the belt in its finished form.

13. The method of forming a round belt of flexible material, comprising the steps of forming a hem in the material to serve as a core, forming the material thereabout, and stitching the belt in its finished form.

14. The method of forming a rope-like belt of flexible material comprising the steps of providing a core permanently attaching the same to the flexible material to be formed thereabout, and simultaneously forming the flexible material about the core into a rope-like belt and disposing all raw edges of the material therewithin.

15. The method of forming a round fabric structure from a strip of material consisting in first forming a hem on the strip to serve as a core and then producingrelatiXe spiral movement between the core and the strip to Wind the strip about the core.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my 20 name to this specification.

ALBERT H. DE VOEi 

